Make Your Wedding Shower Magical And Memorable

A wedding shower is a pre-wedding party that allows loved ones to celebrate with the soon-to-be newlyweds. It is a chance to shower the couple with love, gifts, and well-wishes before their big day.

Traditionally, wedding showers have been called bridal showers and have been exclusively for the bride-to-be. However, if a co-ed situation is more suitable or there is no bride involved, a wedding shower might be the perfect alternative.

Wedding showers are typically hosted and paid for by the maid of honour. They usually take place a few months before the wedding and are a great way to include folks who won't be attending the ceremony.

- Wine tasting at a vineyard

- Trivia game centred around the couple

- Potluck with food tied to specific moments in the couple's relationship

Decorate with a balloon letter sign

Decorating with balloon letters is a fun and creative way to make a wedding shower feel special and unique. Here are some tips and ideas to create a beautiful balloon letter sign:

• Choose the Right Balloons: Opt for large, oversized balloons in the shape of letters. You can find these at party supply stores or online. Select balloons that fit the colour scheme of the wedding shower, such as gold or silver for an elegant look, or choose balloons in the bride's favourite colour.
• Spell Out a Special Message: Use the balloon letters to spell out a meaningful phrase or word. Popular ideas include LOVE or the couple's initials. This adds a cute and personalised touch to the decorations.
• Create a Backdrop: Use the balloon letters as a backdrop for photos. You can create a dramatic installation by grouping the balloons together and adding other decorative elements, such as ribbons or flowers. This will make for some great photo opportunities during the shower.
• Mix and Match: Feel free to mix and match different types of balloons and decorations. For example, combine the balloon letters with regular latex balloons or add some greenery or streamers to create a more whimsical look.
• Customise with Lights: Consider adding some string lights or fairy lights to your balloon letter sign. This will make the display even more eye-catching and create a cosy atmosphere.

By following these tips, you can create a beautiful and memorable balloon letter sign that will impress the bride and make the wedding shower extra special.

Set up a flower bar

A flower bar is a fun and unique activity for a bridal shower that also serves as a memorable favour for your guests. It's an immersive experience that will wow the guests and the bride-to-be. Here's how to set up a flower bar:

Find a Florist

First, you'll need to source your flowers. Find a florist in your area to supply the blooms you need. They can also help you create a custom palette of colours and sizes for your flower bar. You could also search for flower-arranging classes and hire an instructor to lead a class during your shower.

Pick a Colour Palette

Choose a colour palette of analogous colours—a range of colours that automatically look good together. For example, pinks, blush, lavender, plum, and blues. Add some whites and greens, too, and whatever your chosen colour palette may be.

Add Bright and Dark Shades

Include a variety of light and dark shades in the same colour family to create visual interest within the bouquets. Choose some pastel colours, some brights, and some darks for range and depth.

Include Flowers in a Range of Sizes

Along with varying colours, an assortment of small, medium, and large blooms makes a more interesting bouquet. Include non-floral elements such as buds, seed pods, and berries, too.

Prep Flowers for Guests

Set up a table of flowers ready for your guests to arrive. Separate different types and colours of flowers in individual buckets or baskets. Set out filler items on the same table or on a separate station. Label the containers or create small signs for each item. Don't forget to provide multiple sets of tools like wire cutters, flower tape, and scissors.

Provide Easy-to-Use Containers

The best containers for beginners are those that are taller than they are wide. A simple clear glass vase is always classic. Add some beautiful ribbon for your guests to wrap their blooms in before placing them in water. If guests prefer to add water to their vessel at home, offer wet cloths to wrap around the base of the flowers.

Host a tea party

Hosting a tea party is a delightful way to celebrate the bride-to-be. It's a classy, elegant, and budget-friendly option that suits all ages and seasons. Here are some tips to make it special:

Venue

You can host a tea party bridal shower anywhere, but a formal tea house or a hotel/restaurant with a tea room is a good option. Historical mansions and museums often have tea rooms or cafes that can be reserved for private parties. Alternatively, you can host it in your home or backyard, ensuring you have enough space for guests, tables, seating, food displays, and gift-opening.

Decor

Use a pastel color palette with pops of bright, cheerful colors. Limit the palette to 3-4 complementary hues to keep it chic. Vintage pieces like floral china, patterned tablecloths, and embroidered handkerchiefs fit the theme well and can be sourced from thrift stores or borrowed from friends and family. Mismatched china sets collected from loved ones can also be a unique, decorative touch. Flowers are a must – go for a garden-style arrangement with classic choices like roses, peonies, carnations, and tulips, plus touches of greenery.

Dress Code

Traditionally, tea party attire is semi-formal. For ladies, this means dresses or skirts that are slightly fancier than average, in bright colors or patterns. Heels or chic flats, statement jewelry, and even a hat can complete the look.

Food and Drinks

A traditional British tea menu includes miniature sandwiches with fillings like cucumber, watercress egg salad, and smoked salmon. Bite-sized desserts like sponge cakes, trifles, and scones with jam and clotted cream are also a must. Serve food on tiered cake stands.

For tea, offer a variety, including black tea (Earl Grey, English breakfast), green tea, and caffeine-free herbal tea (chamomile, peppermint, rooibos). Don't forget condiments like milk, cream, sugar, lemon, and honey. Champagne and a special cocktail can also be served for toasting.

Favors

Favors that fit the tea theme, like bags of tea, tea infusers, or personalized mugs, are ideal. Other options include lavender sachets, wooden honey dippers, or cookies in the shape of teapots.

Games

Games are a fun addition to any bridal shower. Bridal Bingo, Would You Rather, and Find the Guest are some options to get guests laughing and mingling.

Make a dessert

Dessert is an important part of a bridal shower, and it's a great opportunity to get creative and make the event special. Here are some ideas for bridal shower desserts that will impress and delight your guests.

Offer a Variety of Treats

Firstly, it's worth considering the format of your bridal shower. If you're hosting a sit-down meal, you can offer larger desserts like pie or cake. However, if you're serving passed bites or light refreshments, it's best to stick to one- or two-bite treats that are easy to eat without making a mess. Offering a variety of petite treats like cookies, individual cakes, and miniature pastries ensures there's something for everyone and allows guests to sample a few different options.

Consider the Bride's Preferences

The bridal shower is all about celebrating the bride, so it's essential to consider her favourite flavours and desserts. You can incorporate her preferences in creative ways, such as including her favourite fruit in a dessert or recreating a family recipe that holds a special place in her heart.

Think About Flavours, Treat Types, and Allergies

When planning your dessert menu, it's important to offer a range of flavours and treat types to cater to different tastes. For example, you could have one item with chocolate, one that's fruit-based, and another that's gluten-free or nut-free to accommodate any allergies or dietary restrictions among your guests.

Get Creative with Presentation

Presentation is key to making your bridal shower desserts special. Here are some ideas to elevate your dessert table:

• Display treats on antique silver platters or elegant lace towers.
• Garnish desserts with delicate, fresh flowers or edible flowers.
• For a boozy twist, serve popsicles in cocktails.
• Stack sugar cookies to resemble miniature wedding cakes, filling each layer with royal icing.
• For a whimsical touch, serve ice cream sandwiches or cookie-and-ice-cream sandwiches, individually wrapped to make them more manageable for guests.

Dessert Ideas

Now, let's dive into some specific dessert ideas that are perfect for a bridal shower:

• Heart-shaped hand pies filled with strawberries
• Chocolate chip cookies, especially the famous Doubletree variety with walnuts and chocolate chunks
• Mini bundt cakes with a chocolate ganache glaze
• Macarons, a challenging but impressive treat
• Chocolate cupcakes with a simple chocolate buttercream frosting
• Strawberry shortcake, a light and airy option for a summer shower
• Mini chocolate chess pies, a southern delight with a creamy custard filling
• Chocolate-covered strawberries, a romantic and elegant treat
• Mexican wedding cookies, soft and buttery shortbread cookies dusted with powdered sugar
• Chocolate-covered strawberry brownies, a decadent combination of two classics
• Vanilla cupcakes that stay moist for days, ensuring guests can enjoy them even after the party
• Strawberry trifle, a stunning and intricate-looking dessert that's surprisingly easy to make
• Sugar cookies dressed up with a sugar glaze, sprinkles, or ganache
• Chocolate truffle hearts, a decadent and cute treat that's easier to make than you think
• Chocolate cake, a timeless dessert that's always a crowd-pleaser
• Cake pops in fun shapes like hearts, dipped in coloured candy melts and decorated with sprinkles, edible glitter, or dragees

Play bridal shower games

Games are a great way to get everyone involved in the festivities and keep guests entertained. Here are some ideas for bridal shower games to make the event fun and memorable:

Fun Bridal Shower Games:

• The Lingerie Bridal Shower Game: Ask each guest to bring a lingerie item that matches their personality and style. Blindfold the bride and hang the items on a clothesline. Then, have the bride guess who brought each item.
• "Where in the World is the Couple?": Print out pictures of the couple at different locations and number them. Guests guess the locations of each photo, and the one with the most correct guesses wins.
• Wedding Movie Charades: Act out scenes from wedding-themed movies, and have teams guess the film.
• Boho "Guess How Many Candies": Fill a jar with the bride's favourite candy, and have guests guess how many pieces are in the jar.
• Pass the Bouquet: A fun twist on musical chairs! Guests pass a bouquet instead of sitting on chairs, and the last person remaining wins.
• Wedding Trivia: Test guests' wedding knowledge with interesting facts and figures.
• Say "Bride": Give each guest a plastic ring to wear. If a guest hears someone say "bride," "wedding," or "love," they can take that person's ring. The guest with the most rings at the end wins.
• Engagement Ring Scratch-Off: Hand out scratch-off cards to guests, and the card that reveals a golden ring wins.

Funny Bridal Shower Games:

• Couple Roast: Guests act out scenarios from the couple's past or future, and the couple judges their acting skills and accuracy.
• Hot Gossip: Write a juicy question about how each guest knows the couple, and have them mingle to find the answers.
• "Who Has the Groom Or Bride?": Guests scratch off cards to reveal famous grooms and brides, with the option to add a picture of the real groom or bride on one lucky guest's card.
• Bridal Shower Pictionary: Guests act out wedding-related phrases like "tossing the bouquet" or "cutting the cake," and their team guesses the answer.
• Wedding Shoe Game: The couple sits in chairs and holds up paddles with their faces on them. Guests ask them questions like "Who's more likely to steal the covers on a cold night?" and the couple answers by raising their chosen paddle.
• "Who Am I?": Write the name of a famous person on each guest's forehead, and have them ask "yes" or "no" questions to guess the name.
• The Newlywed Game: Interview the bride's partner beforehand and record their answers. At the bridal shower, ask the bride the same questions, and then play back the partner's responses.

Unique Bridal Shower Games:

• Taste the Cake: Set up a cake bar with bite-sized cakes, cupcakes, or cookies in various flavours. Blindfold guests and have them guess the flavours.
• Make a Wedding Dress: Divide guests into teams and give them toilet paper to create wedding dresses. The bride chooses the best design.
• Memory Lane Game: Guests write down their favourite memory with the bride, and then guess who wrote each memory.
• Wedding Jeopardy: Guests answer wedding-related questions in a Jeopardy-style game.
• Etiquette 911: Guests answer humorous wedding etiquette questions, such as what to do if the best man spills champagne on the guests.
• Pass the Love Story: Each guest writes a sentence about how the couple met and fell in love, and then passes it on. The final story is read aloud.
• Celebrity Name Game: Guests write celebrity names on pieces of paper, and then try to explain the name to their teammates without saying it.

Easy Bridal Shower Games:

• Couples Trivia: Guests answer questions about how well they know the couple.
• "What's on Your Phone?": Guests earn points for having certain items on their phones, like the Instagram app or unread emails.
• Custom Couples Crossword: Print custom crossword puzzles about the couple for guests to complete.
• Words of Wisdom: Guests give marriage and love advice, which are then compiled into a scrapbook for the bride.
• Wedding Vows Collaboration: Guests write sentences to help create the couple's wedding vows, and the final product is read aloud.
• Wedding Mad Libs: Guests fill in the blanks in a Mad Libs story, and then the couple reads it aloud.
• "How Old Was the Bride-To-Be?": Guests guess the bride's age in different photos from throughout her life.

Simple Bridal Shower Games:

• Bridal Shower Bingo: Play bridal-themed bingo, with blank squares for guests to fill in.
• Two Truths and a Lie: Guests share three experiences with the bride, one of which is a lie, and others try to guess which is the lie.
• Name That Tune: Play snippets of love songs, and have guests guess the song name and artist.
• "Would She Rather": Guests answer "would she rather" scenarios, and then the bride reveals her choices.
• "What's In Your Purse?": A scavenger hunt to find common (and uncommon) items in guests' purses.
• "How Well Do You Know the Bride?": Test guests' knowledge about the bride with easy and hard questions.
• Over or Under: Guests guess if the numbers in statements are over or under the correct number.

Frequently asked questions